The Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) has condemned the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues’ (PFII) rejection of calls for a moratorium on fossil fuel extraction on indigenous land. Instead of opposing the burning of fossil fuels, the PFII endorsed the practice by lending its support to carbon trading schemes.

During the meeting of the PFII, indigenous people from all over the world protested outside the New York offices of Sithe Global, which is proceeding with plans for the Desert Rock coal plant on Dine’ land. Tying the fight against coal extraction and burning to indigenous land struggles around the world, Enei Begaye of the Black Mesa Water Coalition said, “These are resource wars. These companies are occupying sovereign Indigenous territories, and not just in Iraq. In this country, from the Navajo Nation to the Arctic, the Indian wars continue.”

For more information, see the IEN newsletter. The newsletter also contains reports from the fight against the Alberta tar sands and uranium mining in the Grand Canyon.